Thorns’ Sam Coffey ready for Olympic stage

PORTLAND, Ore. ( KOIN ) — It’s safe to say that Sam Coffey received the most meaningful phone call of her life a few weeks ago.

“I was so excited and over the moon. I feel like I blacked out. I don’t even remember a lot of it,” said the Thorns defender.

That call was to let her know that for the first time ever she would represent Team USA in a major international tournament.

“I let it ring maybe once and then I was like, ‘Okay, it’s time to answer the phone.’ I had my phone in my hand the whole day. I did not let go of it in fear of missing a call. If anytime anyone tried to call me, I hung up immediately,” said Coffey with a laugh.

The honor comes after the disappointment of not being named to the World Cup roster last year. Many people saw Sam as the last or the second to last person left off the team.

“I ultimately had a choice after that. I could feel bad for myself and kind of sulk my head through it or pick myself up and continue to get at after it and continue to grow and not let a setback or a failure define me,” said Coffey. “It’s just been the most incredible growing opportunity. I think it’s something that I’ve learned so much from and lessons that I carry with me every day. I think it’s only made me stronger.”

That strength helped Coffey earn another honor on top of the Team USA selection: Olympian.

“I come back to the world surreal. It’s hard to put into words. I think I’m so overcome with emotion and excitement and joy that I get to call myself that. It’s not something that I take lightly. Something that I’ve tried to let myself soak in and really feel. I’m just going to pour my whole heart into it, and I can’t wait to get started,” said Coffey.

Coffey gets started with U.S. women’s soccer in an interesting spot.

Last year’s World Cup was disappointing, with the team losing out in the round of 16. That sparked plenty of change in the last 11 months, including a new head coach and several veterans not making this Olympic squad.

Ultimately, Coffey says she’s ready to contribute to this new era of US women’s soccer.

“It’s a blank page before us, and we hold the pen. I think that’s so exciting. It’s a new chapter,” said Coffey.

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